Air tools w/ small compressor?

I need an impact wrench to remove lug nuts. A good cordless 1/2" one would be ideal but run $250-$300. (I want one for various reasons and plan to get one but it just isn't in the budget right now.) A good corded one would be about $150+. An air tool impact wrench can be got for about $75.

I have a 3.5 gallon, 135 psi pancake compressor. The tools I've looked up say that 90 psi is the ideal pressure and they use 5.5 cfm of air. Knowing nothing about air tools I am wondering if I could get by using my small compressor and an air impact wrench. Entire job is removing 4 wheels and then putting 4 on. I normally do this with a lug nut T wrench and the desire for an impact wrench is just pure laziness. It does not have to be fast.

Thanks for any advice.

George
South Carolina

The size of government is inversely proprotional to the degree of freedom it affords.

Re: Air tools w/ small compressor?

If you don't do it very often you will get by. The air compressor will run all the time and you will have to wait for it. Don't expect great perfromance from a $75 air impact, I'd spend a little more and get a good one.

Re: Air tools w/ small compressor?

Thanks guys. I've got good hoses. This is a job I do about 5 times a year, removing street tires and putting track tires on. Lugs go back on w/ light torque and then finished with torque wrench at about 100 lbs. I may give this a try. Really want a high end cordless one but that will have to wait.

George
South Carolina

The size of government is inversely proprotional to the degree of freedom it affords.

Re: Air tools w/ small compressor?

Originally Posted by N80

Thanks guys. I've got good hoses. This is a job I do about 5 times a year, removing street tires and putting track tires on. Lugs go back on w/ light torque and then finished with torque wrench at about 100 lbs. I may give this a try. Really want a high end cordless one but that will have to wait.

Don't cheap on an air impact gun, they generally require more CFM and wear out quite quickly and as well I have noticed that there is a good deal of slop in them and they may actually never break the lug nut loose once it starts showing some wear.

While the air compressor is filling up, I imagine with a pan-cake style air compressor you could actually run it out of air getting the lugs off. Just depends on how torqued the lug nuts are.

Re: Air tools w/ small compressor?

If I'm going to buy a good air impact gun, then I could probably just get a corded electric for about the same price and would not be limited by my puny air compressor. Tied to a cord/hose either way. I'll have to stew on this a bit.

George
South Carolina

The size of government is inversely proprotional to the degree of freedom it affords.

Re: Air tools w/ small compressor?

Originally Posted by megaboz

Don't cheap on an air impact gun, they generally require more CFM and wear out quite quickly and as well I have noticed that there is a good deal of slop in them and they may actually never break the lug nut loose once it starts showing some wear.

While the air compressor is filling up, I imagine with a pan-cake style air compressor you could actually run it out of air getting the lugs off. Just depends on how torqued the lug nuts are.

i guess this needs a YMMV.

I run pretty much all harbor freight guns. I work on tractors.

havn't worn a gun out yet.

my 12yr old 1/2" impact IR clone takes off tractor lug nuts fine.

my 3/4 and 1" gun will either take a nut / bolt off/out or wring it off.

i used to only own a pancake compressor.. I did tire lugs with it.

it peters out fast.. but then the nut gets broke loose in about 5 bangs.. then it is a freewheel.

yes.. the compressors's gonna be running for each tire.

ideal? heck no..

buy a 200-300$$ IMPACT GUN? Why.. he has a 44$ compressor.. that would be futile..

Re: Air tools w/ small compressor?

Originally Posted by N80

If I'm going to buy a good air impact gun, then I could probably just get a corded electric for about the same price and would not be limited by my puny air compressor. Tied to a cord/hose either way. I'll have to stew on this a bit.

remember.. this is tractorBUYnet.

most users here don't care about staying on budget when spending YOUR money.

some of us understand budget limitiations.

I'm sure we'd all like to own 100K$ of tools.. but when faced with work to do.. and a bufget of 50 bucks.. many of us understand that we may be faced with 2 choices. buy the cheap tool and do the work, knowing it's a cheap tool and won't last like an expensive one.. or NOT do the work because the designer luxory tool costs 180$.

Re: Air tools w/ small compressor?

I don't think your 3.5 gallon compressor has the volume to keep 90 PSI up for even one lug nut before kicking on. I have a 30 gallon tank and I wont get more than 3 or 4 nuts off without the compressor kicking on when it reaches 90 PSI. I can usually get all the nuts off without having to wait for the compressor to reach 130. For a big and stubborn nut like on my tractors rear tire, my 650 ft pound 3/4 drive HF impact does a good job but it uses a lot of air. The little Chicago Pneumatic 1/2" drive unit I have wont budge them or some automotive lug nuts either if they are very tight which is why I got the bigger drive unit. When I get some gorilla that tightened a lug nuts at the tire shop and when trying to get it off with the 4 way lug wrench and feel the shaft twisting a half round before the nut breaks loose, it isn't a pleasant feeling on my old bone wrist or back for that matter. Now I don't strain to get any nut off. It is coming off or break.